* With careful worm positioning, the shotgun can be fired at a target beneath an overhang from the overhang edge.

* With careful worm positioning, the shotgun can be fired at a target beneath an overhang from the overhang edge.

* If there is an [[Oil Drum]] above an horizontal map girder and your worm is below, you can shot the girder with the shotgun to drop the Oil Drum (it will not explode) an then explode it using the second shot.

* If there is an [[Oil Drum]] above an horizontal map girder and your worm is below, you can shot the girder with the shotgun to drop the Oil Drum (it will not explode) an then explode it using the second shot.

* If your worm is positioned behind another worm (extremely close, touching the worm) and both of these worms are on a horizontal terrain, the shot will not hit the worm infront of your worm, it will pass through the worm.

* If your worm is positioned behind another worm (extremely close, touching the worm) and both of these worms are on a horizontal terrain, the shot will not hit the worm infront of your worm, it will pass through the worm.

* In [[WormsDC]], the active worm still gets to fire its second shot [[ Worms that hurt themselves with their first Shotgun round still get a second shot|even if it injures itself with the first one]].

* In [[WormsDC]], the active worm still gets to fire its second shot [[ Worms that hurt themselves with their first Shotgun round still get a second shot|even if it injures itself with the first one]].

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[[Image:Shotgun trick.png|thumb|left|In this situation, the shot passes through the worm, without hitting it]]

The Shotgun is one of the weapons that makes up the backbone of the Worms arsenal, together with such weapons as the Bazooka, the Grenade and the Fire Punch. The Shotgun is markedly easy to use: it fires in a straight line regardless of wind or gravity, and its blast radius is far smaller, giving it more utility in a close quarters situation.

The one aspect of the Shotgun that makes it so powerful a weapon is its two shots, which can be fired in separate instances. Once the first shot has been fired, the player is free to move around the terrain for the remainder of his turn time before taking the second. This quality, shared only by the Longbow, vastly increases the number of possibilities available and deepens the strategy of the game.

Common tactics

The ability to fire two shots independently of one another makes the Shotgun a powerful tactical weapon.

The Shotgun can be used to shoot two different worms in two different locations.

The first shot can be used to move an enemy worm to a more perilous location (e.g. nearer water or a mine), before finishing it off with a the second shot.

The first shot can be used to prepare the terrain for the second shot (e.g. shooting a hole through a bridge and then shooting the enemy worm through the hole)

The first shot can be used to overcome an obstacle (e.g. to get access through a girder), then the second shot to attack.

On a long-distance shot, the first shot can be used as a "tracer" for the second (i.e. firing the first shot in the general direction required, and then refining the second shot based on the results of the first).

If there is no better use for the second shot, it can be used to make a safer retreat location out of the land (e.g. a foxhole).

At fairly close range, the Shotgun gives it a near-guarantee of 50hp damage.

Trivia & detail

The Shotgun has a curious quirk whereby worms will always be propelled in the direction of the shotgun shot, regardless of where they stand within the shotgun blast (except for the shooter that will always be propelled away from the blast). In exceptional circumstances this can look like the victim worm is getting "sucked into" the blast, and a particularly skilled player can use this quirk to gain an advantage.

Gaining a Gold Medal on the Rifle Range training mission unlocks the Golden Shotgun scheme cheat. When activated, the Shotgun deals twice the damage, twice the blast range and twice the shots (firing 2 bullets per round, for a total of 4 bullets per turn).

Tricks and glitches

The overhang shotgun trick

With careful worm positioning, the shotgun can be fired at a target beneath an overhang from the overhang edge.

If there is an Oil Drum above an horizontal map girder and your worm is below, you can shot the girder with the shotgun to drop the Oil Drum (it will not explode) an then explode it using the second shot.

If your worm is positioned behind another worm (extremely close, touching the worm) and both of these worms are on a horizontal terrain, the shot will not hit the worm infront of your worm, it will pass through the worm.